Gospel, John 16:12-15
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
"He will guide you into all the truth"
This whole context evokes a kind of farewell party where Jesus addresses His friends and disciples with a special promise. This promise is of a Person who will light, inspire, remind and guide the disciples.
Paying attention to Jesus’ words, we are attracted by, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can NOW bear" John 16:12. He has more things to say. Are they hard to understand?
How many times did He tell them about His passion in Jerusalem, but they were not ready to accept and much less to understand?
How many times did He speak about the Kingdom when they had in mind an earthly kingdom?
How many times did He insist that loving your neighbor meant every human being and not only a blood brother or a national co-citizen?
Now, before the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples (which means before Jesus‘ Crucifixion and Resurrection) the disciples are unable to acknowledge Christ as the Real Messiah. They can't accept, understand and realize it. Later the Spirit will open their minds to understand, give up doubt and the fear of going out to proclaim the Good News.
Later, the Holy Spirit will inspire the Evangelists, among many other things, to write the Gospel, teach about the Church as the body of Christ, the mystery of Baptism and its effects, the Eucharist... He will inspire the disciples to teach, found churches and confirm them in the true faith.
St. Peter reminds us of how St. Paul clarified some hard matters to understand in 2 Peter 3:14-16.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
What Jesus promised is realized at Pentecost. Thanks to the Spirit we witness a "continuing now" inspired by the Defender, the Guide to the Truth and the Light leading the Church in Jesus’ footsteps to the glory of God the Father. Meet the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit now as you read, reflect and meditate upon the Gospel!